Can crushing mechanism



NOV. 25, 1952 H, 1 sMlTH 2,619,150

CAN CRUSHING MECHANISM ATTORN EY Nov 25, 1952 H. J. SMITH 2,619,150

CAN CRUSHING MECHANISM Filed Jan. l0 1950 2 SHEETS-*SHEET 2 miiiiiiiimm.

ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 25, 1952 CANCRUSHING MECHANISM Harvey J. Smith,Greensboro, N. C., assignor to Modern Metal Products Company,Greensboro, N.` C., a corporation of North Carolina.

-Application January 10, 1950, Serial No. 137.780

1 Claim. `1

My invention relates to racks of the kind disclosedin my Letters PatentNo. 2,320,159, issued May' 25, 1943; No. 2,343,248, issued March '7,1944; No.12,432',455, issued December "9, 194'7;v andi No. 2,443,837,issued June 22, 1948.

.Mypresent invention has for its object tojprovide, in combination withsuch racks, a `means to crush and flatten the cansafter they shall havebeen drained.

More specically, the invention seeks to provide a can crusher which isautomatically set into operation by the can to be crushed after itleaves the can chute on which it has been retained for drainingpurposes.

Again, it is an object to provide a motor which is set into operation asaforesaid and which will continue to operate for a predetermined timeinterval required fully to compress the can into the smallest possiblespace before delivering the can to the used-can chamber of the machine.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part will be pointed outhereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, invention stillfurther resides in the novel details of construction, combination andarrangement of parts, all of which will be iirst fully described in thefollowing detailed description, and then be particularly pointed out inthe appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section on approximately the line I--I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail face View of the oscillatable Jaw.

Fig. 4 is a face view of the xed jaw.

In the drawings, in which like numerals and letters of referenceindicate like parts in all the gures, I represents the base of thecabinet, 2 the back wall of the same, 2a the front wall, and 3 the sidewalls of the cabinet. 4 designates the partitions on the outside of theside walls, between which unopened cans of oil are adapted to bestacked. The top of the cabinet is indicated at 5. The front wall 2a hasan upper opening 6 closable by a door 8, and a lower opening I closableby a door 9. Within the cabinet is a can chute I on a bridge II; overthe chute is carried a springy can-retarding iinger I2. A drainage tankI3 for oil from chute I0 is 1ocated below the chute and carries a canopener receiving rack I4. The tank I3 can be drained va a drain cock I5.

All the foregoing parts may be of the knownv 12 constructions and-perse,are 4notoi my present invention.

My present invention residesA in the provision of a can crusherandflatteningl apparatus embodying a fixed jaw 2l and an oscillating jawbetween which cans 49, leaving the chute? I0,

are directed by means of a deflector bar I1 and a can-guide chuteI6,-afdetector switch I8v being mounted on the guide chute I6 with itsoperating arm IS projected through an opening 20 into the chute in thepath of the cans.

The fixed or stationary jaw 2| has side arms 22 between which the leg 26of the oscillating or movable jaw 25 lies and is pivoted thereto on apivot pin 29, passing through holes 21 and 28 respectively.

The jaw 2I has mounting lugs 23v suitably secured in any desired way tothe side walls 3. The face of the jaw 2l has a wedge-shaped concavity 3Ito cooperate with that, 24, of the jaw 2|. When the jaws are the closesttogether (the closed position), a space 5I between the jaws equal to thethickness of a crushed can 50 is left at the lower ends of the jaws,while at the top the jaws may be brought closer together in the closedposition in order to facilitate the discharge of the crushed can 50.

Pivot studs on the sides of the jaw 25 receive the pivot ends 32 ofconnecting rods 33 having an eccentric strap 34 on an eccentric 35carried on a shaft 36. The shaft 36 is driven via a Worm gear 31 and aworm and worm shaft 40, the latter being coupled to an electric motor42. Bearings 39 in a housing 38 are provided for the worm shaft.

The motor 42 is securely mounted by having its lug 43 secured to xedbrackets 4I. The rods 33 pass through openings 2|a in the jaw 2|.

44 designates a time-switch of any approved kind whose function is tokeep the motor 42 running for a predetermined time interval after a canhas engaged the detector switch arm I9 and has closed the circuit of theswitch I8. The motor running time should, preferably, be such as toallow a can to be processed by the crusher before a second can isdelivered to the same.

45 indicates a Wire from the detector switch I8 to the time-switch 44;46 indicates wires from time-switch 44 to motor 42; and 48 indicates thepower line connections.

Operation The used cans are placed on the chute in the u sual way, oneat a time, the cans being successively retarded by the iinger I2. Uponbeing pushed along past the nger I2, the can moves along the chute I0and drops into the guidechute I6 and passes into the open ends of the`aws 2|, 25, the actuating detector switch I8 in its passage therebycausing switch 44 to be set and the motor 42 started to operate. Theoperation of the motor effects the opening and closing of the jaws andthe progressive downward feed of the can while simultaneously flatteningthe can sidewise and crushing it together until the crushed, flattenedcan drops out, as at 50 in Fig. 1; whereupon the time-switch 44 cuts outthe motor, unless in the meantime a second can has engaged detectorswitch arm I9.

In this way another object of my invention is attained, namely, a,larger number of used cans can be permitted to accumulate in thecollection chamber C than would be possible with uncrushed cans.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation,and advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in theart to which it relates.

What I claim is:

In a machine of the class described wherein is provided a cabinet havinga can chute, means for maintaining a can on said chute until a secondcan has been placed on the chute, a can Crusher located in said cabinetbelow said chute, a can guide chute between said rst named chute andsaid can crusher, means to operate said Crusher for a predetermined timeinterval, said means including a drive motor and a time-switch, meansoperable by a can passing into said guide chute for setting saidtime-switch in action, said Crusher including a fixed jaw and a movablejaw the opposing faces of which have cooperating wedge-shapedconcavities, and power transmitting means connecting said motor withsaid movable jaw.

HARVEY J. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 969,720 Pickett Sept. 6, 19101,045,205 Skirrow Nov. 26, 1912 2,128,630 Wright Aug. 30, 1938 2,178,461Apprill Oct. 31, 1939 2,246,394 Steele June 17, 1941 2,511,506 HrubyJune 13, 1950 2,558,255 Johnson et al June 26, 1951

